The next American boxing superstar could very well be Errol “The Truth” Spence, who passed his biggest test with remarkable ease by knocking out Chris Algieri in the PBC on NBC main event.
On this stacked night of combat sports, Premier Boxing Champions on NBC went directly against UFC on FOX 19, but thankfully the UFC card ended right as the PBC on NBC welterweight (147 lbs) main event between Errol Spence Jr. and Chris Algieri kicked off. Spence is one of boxing’s top prospects, and from an American standpoint, he could be one of the next generation of top US boxers. Standing opposite him at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York was former 140 lbs champion Chris Algieri. The Long Island native had the crowd behind him (as he always does in New York), but that was about all he had going for him tonight.
Spence lit up Algieri with brutal combinations to the head and especially to the body, which left Algieri flustered in the opening couple of rounds. The Texan then poured on the pressure and dropped Algieri with a sweeping left to the top of the head. The tough Algieri beat the count and survived the round, but he was on borrowed time.
Smelling blood in the water, Spence cracked Algieri with another vicious left hand that sent his foe sprawling to the canvas. Whereas Spence remained aggressive but calculated and patient after the round 4 knockdown, he went all-out to put Algieri away, and he did so with another cracking left that turned Algieri’s head in cartoon-like fashion. Instead of another count, the referee called it off.
Spence improves to 20-0 with 17 KOs, and he’s stopped his last 7 opponents during this run. Algieri (21-3, 8 KOs), who withstood two 1st round knockdowns to rally and score a massive upset over Ruslan Provodnikov, as well as six knockdowns (really five + slip erroneously called knockdown) vs. Manny Pacquiao, finally could take no more punishment. It’s the first time that Algieri has ever been stopped.
Watch the highlights of the knockdowns below, as well as the full video of round 5 at the top of the page.
Man down! @errolspencejr drops @chrisalgieri in round 4. #PBConNBC #SpenceAlgieri https://t.co/w6m7V2d2QO
— PBC (@premierboxing) April 17, 2016
It’s over! @errolspencejr KOs @chrisalgieri in round 5! #mandown #spencealgieri https://t.co/CJOMi06Dn6
— PBC (@premierboxing) April 17, 2016
Spence is a serious talent in the 147 lbs division. Algieri isn’t exactly a clear top-tier fighter himself, but he’s still a very good boxer, and the talent disparity between him and Errol was just massive. He’s skilled, exciting, aggressive, and with effective promoting, can turn into a must-see attraction in the American boxing landscape. This win puts Spence in a position where he could be challenging for a world title, whether it be vs. WBC champion Danny Garcia (who is on the PBC/Showtime roster), or as the mandatory challenger to IBF champion Kell Brook of England. The Keith Thurman/Shawn Porter winner (June 25th) is also intriguing. This all assumes that Spence is getting a title fight next; it is Al Haymon’s PBC we’re talking about, so he could also get a major step down in competition, wasting everybody’s time in the process. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
In closing, if you aren’t familiar with this classic Bloody Elbow meme, you will be after you read this.
Now that you’re all done with your reading, everyone say it with me…
PACQUIAO IS EXPOSED!
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